US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Tough Toenaiis Paring 575
The McKean Log indicates that at 0325 she began disembarking troops.
There are no entries for her 0400 to 0800 watch. At 1000 it is logged that
all her Marines were landed. The Trever logged all her Marines landed by
0925. Commander Task Group 31.3 and CTU 31.3.31 (Rear Admiral Fort)
logged his arrival at 0230 and added (despite the contrary fact) “did not
land troops.” The troop landing was logged at 0630.
Putting together the pieces of evidence, it is apparent that those who read
the radar screen on the Trever that night did not recognize Oleana Bay
so the flagship and the two following APDs hove-to some three miles to
the westward of the bay. Some of the landing boats shoved off in a down-
pour of rain. Darkness and choppy seas complicated the coxswain’s tasks.
The boats landed well to the westward of the chosen beach areas. The
markers on the beach were some three miles to the eastward, so they could
not be seen from shipboard.
The seven LCIS were scheduled to land their Army troops thirty minutes
after the Marines went ashore. This brought the LCIS steaming through the
area where the Trever and the two APDs were hove-to since the LCIS were
proceeding far more expertly than the larger ships to the correct debarkation
area. There was much confusion, but by skillful seamanship, no collisions.
Rear Admiral Fort ordered the Marines landing deferred until first light
or until contact with the beach ‘was established, but the decision was not
carried out by the APDs for reasons unrecorded. The receipt of the order
does not appear in the log books of his flagship, the Trever or the Sch/ey, and
as mentioned before, the McKean Officer of the Deck did not keep a log at
this particular hour. At 0700 the LCIS landed their soldiers in good order,
although a bit drenched, with all their communication equipment too wet to
operate.44
The Marines once ashore learned that the Japanese contingent was not
at Vuru but at Kaeruka, one-half mile closer to Wickham Anchorage and
somewhat more numerous than the initially reported 100 troops. It was
not until 3 July and after a stiff fight by the Marines and Army troops,
assisted by a shelling of Chere Point just to the south of Wickham Anchor-
age by the TreveY, that Commander Wickham Occupation Force could report
to his impatient senior that Wickham Anchorage had been secured.45
u Fort.
4’CTF 31 to COMSCOFOR, 031255 Jul. 1943.